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The Katurran Odyssey
"The Katurran Odyssey" is a remarkable visual achievement, filled with spectacle, fantasy, and wonder on every page. This epic tale of faith, hope, and selfless heroism is illuminated by the stunning illustrations of Terryl Whitlatch, the principal creature designer for the Star Wars prequels, and is brought to dynamic life by the storytelling of screenwriter and author David Michael Wieger.Bo-hibba is a remote island in a faraway time and place that is populated by animals who are at once fantastic and startlingly real. The island's survival is threatened by the Long Winter, and not even the High Priest's ancient ceremony of renewal can put an end to the suffering from the hunger and the cold.
Katook, a small but courageous young lemur, lives in the village of Kattakuk. When he dares to enter a forbidden area on the island and witnesses a shocking act, the outraged priests banish him from the island forever. Forced to journey across the vast sea in search of a new home, Katook encounters great perils and marvels on his quest and undergoes profound tests of trust and friendship. At last, he finds the place where the secret of the Long Winter is revealed and where he must confront his greatest fear if he is to save his family and his island home.
Like such classic works of fantasy as Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," Rien Poortvliet's "Gnomes," C. S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia," Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series, and Brian Froud's "Faeries," "The Katurran Odyssey" creates a mythic world imbued with beauty, adventure, and transcendent imagination.
Katook, a small but courageous young lemur, lives in the village of Kattakuk. When he dares to enter a forbidden area on the island and witnesses a shocking act, the outraged priests banish him from the island forever. Forced to journey across the vast sea in search of a new home, Katook encounters great perils and marvels on his quest and undergoes profound tests of trust and friendship. At last, he finds the place where the secret of the Long Winter is revealed and where he must confront his greatest fear if he is to save his family and his island home.
Like such classic works of fantasy as Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," Rien Poortvliet's "Gnomes," C. S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia," Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series, and Brian Froud's "Faeries," "The Katurran Odyssey" creates a mythic world imbued with beauty, adventure, and transcendent imagination.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 22, 2008
Gorgeous. Never mind the story, just look at the jaw-droppingly beautiful pictures. And lemurs!
May 26, 2008
Enchantingly told and masterfully illustrated, The Katurran Odyssey is a magical mixture of adventure story and potent myth that gives the reader a sense of having journeyed along with Katook. At the end of this journey, we, as well as the little lemur, may come away wiser creatures, changed by the magic and beauty of this world.
March 23, 2025
I think I have had this book on my shelves for approximately two decades: a college friend bought me a copy largely because the main character is a lemur and my nickname is "Lemur", as well as because it is extremely beautifully illustrated. I only finally got around to reading it this spring, though, because I have been packing up all my books for a move and I decided I ought to read it to decide if I should keep it, given it's an oversized, illustrated book that takes up a lot of space. Unfortunately, or fortunately, my verdict is that I'm not going to keep it.
The book is, to be clear, extremely beautiful, with amazing illustrations that alone made it worth reading. The illustrator is apparently an expert animal illustrator who worked for Industrial Light and Magic, and it shows. The story is...mixed in quality, and not as beautiful as the illustrations, but very interesting, at least until the end, when it becomes clear that all will be resolved by divine intervention. The main characters, Katook and Quigga, find themselves in what seems to be an impossible situation, only to have it solved by an out-of-left-field intervention by what turns out to be a very-Christian-inspired (it reminded me of several things from Narnia, right down to its being a fossa, the closest thing to a lion lemurs would be experienced with) deity who has apparently been watching over them and has a divine mission for Katook. The Christian ending of the book—which at least doesn't explicitly invoke Christianity—left a sour taste in my mouth.
The book is, to be clear, extremely beautiful, with amazing illustrations that alone made it worth reading. The illustrator is apparently an expert animal illustrator who worked for Industrial Light and Magic, and it shows. The story is...mixed in quality, and not as beautiful as the illustrations, but very interesting, at least until the end, when it becomes clear that all will be resolved by divine intervention. The main characters, Katook and Quigga, find themselves in what seems to be an impossible situation, only to have it solved by an out-of-left-field intervention by what turns out to be a very-Christian-inspired (it reminded me of several things from Narnia, right down to its being a fossa, the closest thing to a lion lemurs would be experienced with) deity who has apparently been watching over them and has a divine mission for Katook. The Christian ending of the book—which at least doesn't explicitly invoke Christianity—left a sour taste in my mouth.
December 11, 2022
The illustrations are the main reason to read The Katurran Odyssey. There is no one on earth better at drawing animals than Terryl Whitlatch, and Ive spent my whole life loving and drawing animal art. And beyond just the animal figures, each page has fantastical, world-building detail in every inch of it.
At the beginning, it was a little hard to become enthralled in the story and I felt like I was just reading it for the pictures, but as you go along, you get attached to the main characters and definitely are rooting for them. The pacing is a little slow and there’s some awkward points and plot holes, but I don’t mind the meandering nature of it, seeing that it’s a story about a journey. Although it’s not the greatest written story, it has many moments of wisdom and originality.
All in all, we need more books like the Katurran Odyssey- the format of being an illustrated novel length book just has so much appeal. It would be great to read aloud to younger kids, and also great for the older, fantasy-loving kid or adult to get lost in. Even for enthralled kids and adults, it takes more than one sitting to read, especially as you break to gaze at the detailed illustrations, unlike graphic novels/comics that you flip through quickly. It’s relaxing to read and a good way to pass the time.
I think it would make a fantastic movie, and I wish it had the recognition it needed to take it to that format.
At the beginning, it was a little hard to become enthralled in the story and I felt like I was just reading it for the pictures, but as you go along, you get attached to the main characters and definitely are rooting for them. The pacing is a little slow and there’s some awkward points and plot holes, but I don’t mind the meandering nature of it, seeing that it’s a story about a journey. Although it’s not the greatest written story, it has many moments of wisdom and originality.
All in all, we need more books like the Katurran Odyssey- the format of being an illustrated novel length book just has so much appeal. It would be great to read aloud to younger kids, and also great for the older, fantasy-loving kid or adult to get lost in. Even for enthralled kids and adults, it takes more than one sitting to read, especially as you break to gaze at the detailed illustrations, unlike graphic novels/comics that you flip through quickly. It’s relaxing to read and a good way to pass the time.
I think it would make a fantastic movie, and I wish it had the recognition it needed to take it to that format.
April 24, 2018
A breathtaking story of self discovery through the eyes of a young exile lemur and lost quagga. it is the story of Katook, a lemur who learns a secret about his home's priest and is sent into exile to save his family. They live on an island that is dying from an unnatural cold. He rides across the sea on the back of a mother sea turtle and lands 8n Accos. He must flee the city accused of thievery, when he is trick by two animals. outside the city he meets Quigga, a proud, narcistic quagga( a horse with the front half striped like a zebra). Together they transverse the world from west to east. Along the way they make friends, are betrayed, and learn about each other. But the most important thing they learn is about who they are. How to have confidence in who they are and how to trust others. Katook and Quigga do a lot of growing up in this book, and I cried near the end for the two of them. This book is beautifully designed. The art work is so stunning that the pictures alone are enough to buy the book.
November 28, 2019
Read this review and others at https://readingforsanity.blogspot.com...
October 18, 2023
Very sweet fable, made stronger by the illustrations.
Ugh why are there multiple versions of this separately on goodreads
Ugh why are there multiple versions of this separately on goodreads
April 28, 2024
One of the best books we read to our kids. In fact, though it was long, we read it at least twice1maybe three times.
April 11, 2025
10/10 I love this silly little book sm!!
Read
January 18, 2026Read this to O. Only took a couple sittings, which I attribute to the immersive illustrations and smart page design. Fun epic.
April 13, 2013
I was shaking with excitement when I first put my hands upon this wonderful book. Not only am I all but obsessed with lemurs, but I also have a fascination with animals and fairy tales. If you sat down and tried to write a book perfect for me, you could not do any better then Terryl Whitlatch and David Michael Wieger. After all, how many books do you see with aye-ayes?
The gorgeous illustrations, of course, have the most instant appeal. This is no thin picture book, but over 180 pages long and nearly every double page spread contains at least one delightful picture, filled with breath-taking detail. The turning of every page is a delight, and every time I study a picture there are new, exquisite details to be seen and more exotic creatures to be discovered. I just wish there was a list at the back or somewhere on the internet so that I could confirm my identifications of some of the more obscure species.
The story itself is equally delightful. It has a simple, fable-like quality that I enjoy immensely and matches well with the pictures. It tells the tale of Katook, a young lemur that is exiled from his troop for discovering what he shouldn't. He then sets out on an epic journey that takes him through a wide range of habitats and meets all sorts of quirky and intriguing characters, including Quigga, a somewhat arrogant Quagga. The two become good friends, and the ending hints at more to come.
This is a book I would dearly love to read aloud (had I anyone to read it to). Children today need more tales like this - a beautiful book, a charming story and some powerful and important messages about friendship and family. It also brings awareness to some of the animals we have lost, and some that we will lose if we're not careful.
Everyone, young or old, that loves animals, NEEDS to own this book.
The gorgeous illustrations, of course, have the most instant appeal. This is no thin picture book, but over 180 pages long and nearly every double page spread contains at least one delightful picture, filled with breath-taking detail. The turning of every page is a delight, and every time I study a picture there are new, exquisite details to be seen and more exotic creatures to be discovered. I just wish there was a list at the back or somewhere on the internet so that I could confirm my identifications of some of the more obscure species.
The story itself is equally delightful. It has a simple, fable-like quality that I enjoy immensely and matches well with the pictures. It tells the tale of Katook, a young lemur that is exiled from his troop for discovering what he shouldn't. He then sets out on an epic journey that takes him through a wide range of habitats and meets all sorts of quirky and intriguing characters, including Quigga, a somewhat arrogant Quagga. The two become good friends, and the ending hints at more to come.
This is a book I would dearly love to read aloud (had I anyone to read it to). Children today need more tales like this - a beautiful book, a charming story and some powerful and important messages about friendship and family. It also brings awareness to some of the animals we have lost, and some that we will lose if we're not careful.
Everyone, young or old, that loves animals, NEEDS to own this book.
January 24, 2015
Perfect Musical Pairing: Great Spirits by Phil Collins (from Disney's Brother Bear)
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Like most things that I read and enjoyed as a kid and return to again many years later, this wasn't quite as good as I remember. The story, which I thought so epic and inspiring as a wide-eyed youth, seems a bit simplistic and hampered by plot holes now that I'm reading this as an adult. Still, it's a fairly solid retelling of a set of tried-and-true fantasy tropes that certainly appeal to the child in all of us.
The illustrations, though, are what REALLY sell this book. Rich and colorful, with a marvelous attention to detail, and with more substantial world-building than the actual story itself. I deeply wish that The Katurran Odyssey ended up being a series (as I assume it was originally planned) because I want to keep on exploring this magnificent world. It's not often that I want to actually live in the books I'm reading, but I definitely wanted to live in this one.
In short, three stars for the fairly decent story, five stars for the illustrations, averaging out to four stars for the book as a whole. If you're looking for a unique picture book that both you and your child will enjoy, this will make for some pretty epic bedtime reading.
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Like most things that I read and enjoyed as a kid and return to again many years later, this wasn't quite as good as I remember. The story, which I thought so epic and inspiring as a wide-eyed youth, seems a bit simplistic and hampered by plot holes now that I'm reading this as an adult. Still, it's a fairly solid retelling of a set of tried-and-true fantasy tropes that certainly appeal to the child in all of us.
The illustrations, though, are what REALLY sell this book. Rich and colorful, with a marvelous attention to detail, and with more substantial world-building than the actual story itself. I deeply wish that The Katurran Odyssey ended up being a series (as I assume it was originally planned) because I want to keep on exploring this magnificent world. It's not often that I want to actually live in the books I'm reading, but I definitely wanted to live in this one.
In short, three stars for the fairly decent story, five stars for the illustrations, averaging out to four stars for the book as a whole. If you're looking for a unique picture book that both you and your child will enjoy, this will make for some pretty epic bedtime reading.
January 29, 2013
Katook is a curious young lemur, who, through no fault of his own, becomes caught up in the politics of his people, and banished. The story follows his adventures in trying to find a way back to his own people.
This story actually reminded me a lot of C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle. Katook, and his friend, a quagga named Quigga, travel the country, each of them looking for a family. During their adventures, they join up with various troops of monkeys, each group different than the last. The monkeys each have something different to teach Katook and his vain friend. They each manage to get to the families they want.
The storytelling is what makes me give this only four stars - while it's engaging, it's also predictable, at least to me (hence my comment above). The art, though, is incredibly lush and beautiful, and takes up at least half of each page. The colors are vibrant and rich, and the details throughout within the art are beautiful.
The ending of this book hints there may be more. I will be on the lookout for additional stories in this universe.
This story actually reminded me a lot of C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle. Katook, and his friend, a quagga named Quigga, travel the country, each of them looking for a family. During their adventures, they join up with various troops of monkeys, each group different than the last. The monkeys each have something different to teach Katook and his vain friend. They each manage to get to the families they want.
The storytelling is what makes me give this only four stars - while it's engaging, it's also predictable, at least to me (hence my comment above). The art, though, is incredibly lush and beautiful, and takes up at least half of each page. The colors are vibrant and rich, and the details throughout within the art are beautiful.
The ending of this book hints there may be more. I will be on the lookout for additional stories in this universe.
May 11, 2010
As many reviewers have stated, the art is beyond amazing. By far it is the best aspect of the book. Occasionally, the pictures did not match what was described but I loved them regardless.
This is for younger readers, although enjoyable for all ages. I truly enjoyed the detail the author put into making the different characters, cultures and settings unique from each other. These were handled beautifully, and the author did not rely on the (outstanding) artwork to convey the descriptions. The joy of this book was discoving the world with Katook (the main character).
The plot is a bit simple, but it is a children's book. Any sub-plots that popped up were handled in a page or two. I'm not sure that really qualifies them as "sub-plots." Personally, I consider this book as an extended picture book. And for what it's meant to be, it is wonderful, pure and simple.
This is for younger readers, although enjoyable for all ages. I truly enjoyed the detail the author put into making the different characters, cultures and settings unique from each other. These were handled beautifully, and the author did not rely on the (outstanding) artwork to convey the descriptions. The joy of this book was discoving the world with Katook (the main character).
The plot is a bit simple, but it is a children's book. Any sub-plots that popped up were handled in a page or two. I'm not sure that really qualifies them as "sub-plots." Personally, I consider this book as an extended picture book. And for what it's meant to be, it is wonderful, pure and simple.
April 25, 2013
Interesting story with beautiful accompanying illustrations. The protagonist is a lemur called Katook who is banished from his village for witnessing a dark secret, and embarks on a wide journey through many places meeting a variety of different animal communities, eventually finding his way back home.
The story is imaginative with interesting places but found the plot and dialogue rather simple at times. I got slightly annoyed with Katook's constant self-pitying, but I found other characters in the book more complex and interesting. The wonderful detailed illustrations are really what make the book come alive and distinguish it from other books. The story itself is rather bland compared to the illustrations.
The story is imaginative with interesting places but found the plot and dialogue rather simple at times. I got slightly annoyed with Katook's constant self-pitying, but I found other characters in the book more complex and interesting. The wonderful detailed illustrations are really what make the book come alive and distinguish it from other books. The story itself is rather bland compared to the illustrations.
June 5, 2011
Buy this book for the artwork, the illustrations are beautiful and you will want to keep looking through it over and over again. Every animal in the book is real except one which is an Easter egg. The story is really good too though I love the world building and how each area had its own culture and such without making the animals seem anthropomorphic. I love how the ancient creatures blend right in with the modern day ones.
I wish that a sequel to this book had been written or a trilogy just to see what happened to Quigga and Katook. Or even a new story in the same universe.
I wish that a sequel to this book had been written or a trilogy just to see what happened to Quigga and Katook. Or even a new story in the same universe.
September 24, 2011
A children's story, illustrated beautifully by Terryl Whitlach. The story itself is rather straightforward, perhaps predictable - a protagonist is exiled and must find his way back home with the aid of friends, and many obstacles in his path - but the story is not poor. It is brought to life by the sheer richness of the illustrations.
I am eager to bring this book when I visit my 4-year old nephew in May. He adores reading and being read to, and has a love for art.
I am eager to bring this book when I visit my 4-year old nephew in May. He adores reading and being read to, and has a love for art.
March 21, 2008
Mesmerizing and enchanting! The story is written with love and the descriptions are magical. The main character and the creatures he meets are an absolute blast! But the art, oh the art! Magnificent! I adore this book.
October 5, 2008
I love this book! It's a treat for both the mind and the spirit. It follows the journey of Katook, a young lemur. Katook's journey is both internal and external. Yes, it is a picture book, but it's not just a children's book. I plan to come back to it again and again.
December 19, 2010
I loved this book since I was a little girl, and then recently I found it and read it again. I love the illustrations, they are so full of character and accuracy that you find it hard to dislike the story. I recommend this book to everyone, and if not for the words, then for the drawings.
April 2, 2011
This is such a unique and amazing book - wonderful story and the artowkr is beyond incredible and imaginative - I found it after enjoying a music cd by Jeff Johnson based on the book - highly recommended also - Arkmusic.com
March 17, 2014
The book is beautiful, illustrated with amazing artworks and warm colors. While the writing is average, it is more than made up for with imagery. One of the greatest fantasy stories I've read in a long time.
December 28, 2014
Hands down one of my favorites. I'm not usually one for illustrated books, but that definitely adds one of the layers of satisfaction to this read. I think this book also does a great job of showing the difference between different realities of religion.
August 14, 2007
Every time I open this book to read I become too engrossed in the pictures.
January 13, 2008
Breathtakingly exquisite illustrations, this is definitely one to add to your shelf.
January 19, 2008
The illustrations so beautifully coincide with the rich storyline - a mammalian Dinotopia. I eagerly await any future releases in this vein.
November 12, 2008
so appealing with story and art - very captivating
January 12, 2009
This is great fun. The illustrations are better than the story but the whole book is fun...a book I can imagine myself going through again, but mostly for the pictures.
December 16, 2012
Such majesty and beauty in the artwork and personalities of the characters. I very highly recommend this visual sojourn.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews